Economic sanctions against Russia are closely being considered by Washington and London as a response to the heavy attacks in the Syrian city of Aleppo. The bombardment caused a heavy toll on the civilian population inside the area where among the casualties are women and children.
EU Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson stated that it is necessary to make President Vladimir Putin and the Russians feel the consequences of their actions.
In Europe, several countries are also pondering on a possible embargo against Moscow as the divide between the West and Russia continues to grow. Germany and France are among the states seeking restrictions.
Both the US and Russia have tried brokering a ceasefire deal in September but the talks failed to gain ground. With no agreement in place, Russian planes pound the rebel-controlled eastern section of Aleppo.
Should sanctions materialize, it is unclear if the injunction will be directed against the Russian military or at Putin's inner circle. Even before setting the implementation of the embargo, the European Union (EU) needs all 28 nations to agree against tightening the rope against Russia.
Although Washington has cancelled all bilateral talks with Putin, it remains committed to negotiating with Moscow on a wider scale. The State Department has pointed out that the conference in Lausanne will be multilateral.
Meanwhile, a senior EU diplomat said that Berlin, Paris and London plan to implement sanctions against the top 20 officials of the Al-Assad regime.
Following the air strikes that hit more civilians and hospitals, US Secretary of State John Kerry has called for an investigation that will pin down Moscow and Damascus for committing war crimes.
According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), more than 560 people have been killed since the ceasefire agreement went haywire.
Aleppo has been a promising economic center prior to the 2012 assault that saw the city being divided by government forces in the west and the rebels in the east.
With the assistance of the Shia militia from Iraq, Lebanon and Iran, the Syrian military have relentless attacked rebel-occupied locations.
